AI translated. Original Dutch letter is here.
Press release 13 June 2025
GAZA: CRY OUT FOR RESPECT FOR THE LAW!
Today, a large group of almost 400 lawyers sent an open letter to the Prime Minister. The lawyers express their great concern about the catastrophe in the occupied Palestinian Territory, especially in Gaza. Urgent action is required. They urge the Prime Minister to act seriously and in accordance with the basic international obligations of the Netherlands and to speak out unequivocally about Israel’s actions. Article 90 of the Constitution obliges the Dutch government to promote the international legal order.
Why?
In Gaza, the civilian population is suffering heartbreakingly from starvation, destruction of civilian infrastructure and housing, and forced displacement. These are serious war crimes. The law should not be selectively set aside. The International Court of Justice has imposed provisional measures on Israel in three rulings – most recently in May 2024 – to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Israel has not cared about that. According to the Court, there is a real and imminent risk of an irreparable infringement by Israel of the rights of the Genocide Convention. The Netherlands is obliged to do what it can to contribute to the prevention of genocide. Since the rulings of the International Court of Justice, the situation has deteriorated dramatically and catastrophically. The Netherlands is not taking any concrete and serious measures to address Israel about this; not after the first ruling of the International Court of Justice and still not.
Who?
The open letter to the prime minister was signed by former members of the judiciary, (former) lawyers, scientists and other lawyers. It has never happened before that former judges, as such, sign such a letter. Among the former members of the judiciary are former members of the Supreme Court, a former attorney general at the Supreme Court and many former presidents of courts and tribunals. In addition to a former rector magnificus, the scientists who signed the letter include many professors and other lecturers with special expertise in the field of international law (etc.).
All signatories have in common that they want to propagate the value of the law. They cannot justify remaining silent in the face of such a serious violation of international law.
Attached: the open letter with almost 400 names.
ATTACHMENT
Open Letter from Concerned Jurists Regarding the Occupied Palestinian Territories
The Hague, 13 june 2025
Subject: Respect for the law
Dear mister Schoof,
Out of our commitment to the law, we, lawyers (former judges, lawyers, professors and other scientists, and other lawyers) of almost 400 in number, express with this letter our deep concern at the catastrophe that is currently taking place in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza: the civilian population is suffering heartbreakingly from starvation, bombing and forced displacement. Particularly serious cases of violations of international law are taking place before our eyes.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has imposed provisional measures on Israel in three rulings (most recently in May 2024) to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. However, Israel has not implemented this in any way. The ICJ has ruled that there is a real and imminent risk of irreparable infringement of the rights protected by the Genocide Convention. The international law definition of genocide and the other obligations of the Genocide Convention are binding on our government. The Netherlands is therefore obliged to do what it can to contribute to the prevention of genocide. Since that last ruling, the overall situation in Gaza has further escalated and deteriorated dramatically, with the result that there is now a serious risk of genocide. The Dutch government has not only failed to address Israel about this after the first ruling of the ICJ, but still does not do so and does not take concrete and serious measures. Starvation and bombing of civilian targets are war crimes, and must stop immediately to prevent genocide from taking place.
Let the Netherlands not treat the law as a menu of options, but propagate respect for the value of the law in word, deed and voting behaviour. Failure to act undermines the international legal order. We therefore urge you to act expeditiously in accordance with our country’s fundamental international obligations and to speak out unequivocally about Israel’s actions. So: stop the starvation of civilians and the bombing of civilian targets!
Respectvoorrecht@gmail.com
List of signatories
Former members of the judiciary
- J. van Aerde
- M.J.A.M. Ahsmann
- A. van Andel
- A.W. Beelaerts van Blokland
- G. Blomsma
- H. Bolt
- E.J.M. Boogaard-Derix
- Th.P.L. Bot
- R.J. van Boven
- D.J. de Brauw
- P. Broekhoven
- J.L.A. Brouwer
- H.F. Buijsman
- J. Calkoen-Nauta
- W.J.B. Claassen-Dales
- M. Cools-Weebers
- G.J.M. Corstens
- M. Cox
- A.H. van Delden
- J. Denie
- D.J. van Dijk
- J.C. van Dijk
- L.A.M. van Dijke
- S.L. Donker
- M. Drabbe
- D. van Driel van Wageningen
- G.P.M. Dungen
- F.W.H. van den Emster
- I. Gimbrère
- P. van Ginkel
- A.M.C. Groen
- R. de Groot
- G.J. de Haas
- A. Hammerstein
- A.S. Hartkamp
- M.J. Hegeman
- M.I.J. Hegeman
- R. Herrmann
- H.L.C. Hermans
- H.F.M. Hofhuis
- J. Huinen
- J.L.R.A. Huydecoper
- B.J.G.M. Ides Peeters
- C.L. Keijzer
- E. Knottnerus
- J.P.M. Kooijmans
- A.M. de Kooijmans-de Kort
- J.Ch. Koster-Vaags
- V. Koster – van der Flier
- Y.A.M.J. van Kuijck
- R. Lameijer
- P.P. Lampe
- J.P. Leijten
- C. Lely- van Goch
- H. van Lokven-van der Meer
- E.A. Maan
- J.H.J.M. Mertens-Steeghs
- W. Miltenburg
- J.J. Minnaar
- H. Moorman
- B. Noordraven
- H.M. van Oijen
- M. Pach
- M. Pel
- C.G. Peper
- H. Poeth
- B.P.J.A.M. van der Pol
- J.E.M. Polak
- N. van Raalte
- L. van Rijckevorsel-Besier
- M. de Rooij
- E. van Rossem
- R.S.T. van Rossem-Broos
- H. de Ruijter
- S. Rullmann
- J.A.M. van Schaick-Veltman
- P.H.C.M Schoemaker
- M. Scholten
- J.W. Sentrop
- E.G. Smedema
- H.A.W. Snijders
- L.A. van Son
- F.G.P.M. Spreuwenberg
- M.M. Steenbeek
- G.A.M. Stevens
- C.A. Streefkerk
- E.M. Struijk
- R.E.A. Toeter
- H.AE. Uniken Venema
- W. van Veen
- A.C. van de Velde-ter Beek
- J.J.I. Verburg
- L. Verheij
- A. Vincent
- A.Th.M. Vrijhoeven
- J. Westhoff
- K.A.J.M. Wetzels
- P.J. Wiegman
- Chr. Wiertz-Wezembeek
- R.R. Winter
Lawyers and former lawyers
- Adnane Aary
- Dilek Abotay
- M.P.J. Ahsmann
- Wout Albers
- Gulcan Alkilic
- L. van Amsterdam
- Şeyma Arıkan
- Derya Arpacay
- Havva Asal
- Neslihan Aydogan-Kütük
- Zakaria Badrane
- Aleid Bakker
- W.M.J. Bekkers
- Nassima Bekri
- Siham Benali
- Amjad Beuqi
- L. Bex
- P. de Bièvre
- Sahin Bildirici
- Kudret Bingöl
- Bansta Blancenburg
- Samira Bouddount
- Farida Boukich
- Theo Boumans
- Anne-Marie Bouwmeester
- J. Brouwer
- N. de Bruijn
- T. Buruma
- Murat Çankaya
- Anilhan Cav
- Gülsüm Çekiç
- Funda Çelen
- Alper Cinar
- W.H. Claassen
- Lotte van Diepen
- H.F. Doeleman
- Ali Durmuş
- J. Edriouch
- Ibtisame El Ajjouri
- Abdelhadi El Aqde
- Imad El Boutaibi
- Jamal El Hannouche
- Salma El Kaddouri
- Anass el Ouath
- G. El Wanni
- E. Elias
- P.M. Elion
- A. Engbers
- R. Feiner
- Tom Franssen
- M. van Geffen
- Sarah Gerrits
- Koert Gobbens
- M. Gommer
- D. Guerro Obando
- L. Haanraadts
- E. Hammerstein
- Josephine Haneveer
- S. Harenberg
- Jan-Paul Heering
- Nannet Heilhof
- M.C. Hoeba
- J. Hoefnagel
- D. Hoekzema
- J.S. Hofhuis
- R. Hogenbirk
- Chris Ingelse
- D. Janssen
- J.E. Janssen
- Marius Jospephus Jitta
- U.W. Joustra
- L-B. Kamp
- Murat Kartal
- Erdal Kaya
- Yucel Kaya
- Marieke Kikkert
- Fadime Kilic Arslan
- M. Kingma
- Th. Kluizenaar
- L. Klumperink
- Anka Knol
- L.M. Komp
- E. Kooij
- Ejder Köse
- Nursel Kose-Albayrak
- C. van der Kwaak
- M.G. Langemheen
- N. Lgarah
- H. Lichteveld
- S. Lopik
- Kaylee Louwarts
- Corten M.
- J. van Maanen
- Th.L. van Maaren
- J.F.M. Matthijsen
- E. van Meulen
- M. Miltenburg
- T. Nedervaan
- Lucien Nix
- M. Nuijten
- Fatih Oksuz
- Robert Oosthout
- Salima Ouald Chaib
- Marziye Öz
- Fatih Özer
- Ch. Pasteuning
- M.P. Peters
- T. Pieters
- M.A. Pieters
- Hilal Polat
- Nabila Rachid
- Elles Ramakers
- Haroon Raza
- Casper Regter
- K. de Roo
- A.S. Rueb
- Samira Sabir
- Öznur Şahin
- Özlem Saki
- G.N. Sanders
- René Sangers
- Anne van Schaik
- R. Scheltes
- Assiye Seme
- Mona Shaaban
- K. Six-Hummel
- Lajla Sjadijeva
- W. Smelt
- J.J. Sneller
- Jiri Sopacua
- Meral Soytekin
- Yonina Spijker
- H. van der Spoel
- S.V. Stephenson
- L. Stevens
- A. Sträter
- J. Streefkerk
- A. Tan
- R. Tan
- J. Teunissen
- D. Tilanus
- Kemal Tosun
- P.C. Vas Nunes
- L. Vermunt-van den Heuvel
- Bart Vernooij
- J. Verstoep
- N.A. Visser
- N. Wagenaar
- T. Wiersma
- M. Wijngaarden
- H.J. Willems
- D.J.B. de Wolff
- J. van Woudenberg
- R. Wybenga
- Menekse Yigitdol
- Sanae Zahri
- Steve Zuidema
- Martijn Zwennes
Scientists
- prof. T. Aalberts
- P.R. Akkermans
- prof. J.M. Akkermans
- prof. D. Allewijn
- prof. A. Arcuri
- prof. R. van Ark
- R.G. van Ark
- S.C.W.M. Arntz
- prof. A. Beckers
- prof. A.W. Bedner
- M.R. Beuker
- prof. C. Brölman
- prof. M. Brus
- prof. A. Buyse
- C. Carbonari
- C. Cauffman
- prof. Sjoerd Claessens
- prof. G. Cornelisse
- Thea Coventry
- prof. G. van Dijck
- prof. M Eliantonio
- A.L. Fischer
- L. Glas
- prof. F.W. Grosheide
- prof. J.J.A. Hamers
- prof. S. van der Hof
- A.M. de Hoon
- M. de Hoon
- N. Idriz
- prof. J. Jansen
- S. Jansen-Wilhelm
- prof. A.W. Jongbloed
- prof. G. de Jonge
- prof. N. Kornet
- prof. X. Kramer
- C.E. Lewis
- prof. T. Liefaard
- S.L.T.J. Ligthart
- B. MacGonigle Leyh
- prof. A.R. Mackor
- G. Malgieri
- prof. A. Moerland
- prof. S.A.J. Munneke
- prof. J.E. Nijman
- prof. M. van Noorloos
- prof. B. Oomen
- prof. J.M. Otto
- prof. J.W. Ouwerkerk
- Chr. Paulussen
- prof. M. Pertégas Sender
- A. Pijnenburg
- E. Rieter
- prof. P.R. Rodrigues
- Ch. Sandelowsky
- prof. J.N. Schutte-Veenstra
- prof. C.J.M. Schuyt
- prof. A Smeulers
- prof. J.M. Smits
- prof. A. Soeteman
- C. Stalenhoef
- prof. C.J.J.M. Stolker
- E. Tissanier-Nasom
- prof. B.C.A. Toebes
- Stephanie Triefus
- prof. H.H.B. Vedder
- G.M. Veldt
- Derk Venema
- prof. W. Veraart
- prof. L.C.A. Verstappen
- N. Vosters
- prof. B. de Vries
- Emma de Vries
- prof. K. de Vries
- prof. H.C.F.J.A. de Waele
- prof. W. Werner
- prof. P.C. Westerman
- prof. M. van der Woude
- prof. F.J. Zuiderveen Borgesius
Other lawyers
- Zena Al-Baz
- E. Apeldoorn
- M. Ariaie-Buurke
- L. van den Assum
- G. Baars
- A. Barendsen
- Nora Bougrina
- M. Brkovoc
- L. Channouf
- K. Cimmermans
- L. Cuelenare
- N.C. van Geel
- L. Gonçalves-HoKang Ju
- Erdem Gören
- S.M. Guerrouj
- Laura Haan
- Zishan Hussain
- I. Hyder
- Funda Ileri
- O. Jarrayi
- Kappeyne van de CapelloM.S.
- S. Karetko
- J. Kleiweg
- S. Koning
- M. Kuijper
- I. Kunst
- S. Lachkar
- S. Laoukili
- R. Laoukili
- Lisa Ligeon
- P. van der Linde
- P. van Lochem
- A. Logtenberg
- Hilde Mertens
- R. Mollinger
- Berkan Polat
- M. Rijnbeek
- M. de Rooij-van Stevenhagen
- R. Rootert
- H.W. Samson-Geerlings
- A. van der Schaaf
- L. Schijf
- Arzu Sengüler
- J. Taekema-van der Bruggen
- T. Tap
- J. Tegelaar
- J.J.J. Teunissen
- N. Teunissen
- D. Turhan
- M. Ünger
- Noa Veetman
- M. Verburg
- A. Visser
- J. van der Vlist
- J. Vugteveen
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